That One Time We Kissed // Bishova College AU

What Comes After the Honeymoon Phase?

"Dude," MJ whispered, kicking Kate under her adjacent desk.

"What?" Kate asked, not looking up from her phone, grin plastered on her face.

"You've been staring at your phone for like 22 minutes straight."

"You timed it?"

"Miss Bishop," Professor Hart said called from the front of the lecture hall. "That's enough."

"Sir, yes sir," Kate saluted, barely registering what the man said. All she could focus on was the sorority party invite Yelena sent her, which was thrilling as it was sort of the pair's debut as a couple, and horrifying because Kate had to socialize again. But, the last time she went to a party, she made out with Yelena Belova, so maybe these party things weren't so bad after all.

After the Professor turned back around, scrawling formulas on the blackboard, MJ asked, "pssst, you wanna go skating tonight?"

Kate showed her friend the text under the desk. "Sorry. Duty calls."

MJ just rolled her eyes. "I don't know what you're doing with her."

"What? You don't like Yelena?"

"Look, Kate, I don't want to ruin a good thing, but be careful."

"Okay..."

"Miss Bishop!" Professor Hart snapped, and Kate dropped her phone. "See me after class."

Forty five excruciating minutes later, the Professor dismissed the class, save for a sheepish Kate. Purple canvas backpack slung over one shoulder and longboard in hand, she made the descent down the lecture hall stairs to where the Professor packed his satchel.

"You wanted to see me?" Kate asked, scratching the back of her neck.

"Ah, Bishop." He said. "Walk with me, will you?"

"Sure."

The Professor zipped his satchel and walked side by side with the girl. "So, all I wanted to talk to you about was the internship." He laughed heartily. "I just did this to scare you. Stop jabbering in my class."

"Yes, sir," Kate whispered. "What about the internship?"

"That you got it."

Kate paused in the doorway. "I did?"

"Yes, Kate." He clapped her on the back lightly. "The Stark internship is all yours. You and Peter. He's biochem and you're... engineering, is that right?"

"That's right." She smiled in disbelief, before it fell. "Wait... not MJ?"

"Don't feel too bad. It's hard for PolySci majors to swing the Stark internship, anyway. I'm sure we'll find her something in D.C."

"Y-Yeah. I'm sure."

Disheartened, Kate took her leave, mounting her longboard as she hit the side walk, cruising to clear her head.

-

"No, Wanda, we are not hiring a mariachi band," Yelena huffed, holding far too many clipboards and in charge of far too many things.

"Um, why not? We hired a piano player once," Wanda said, dragging Natasha behind her by the hand. "Tell her, babe."

"Sorry, what?" Natasha blinked. "Um... yep. Piano player."

"See?" Wanda said, eyebrows raised.

"You know what?" Yelena continued, feigning enthusiasm. "That is totally a great idea, Wands!"

"Okay, fine, no mariachi band. Whatever. Come on, Natty, let's go look at my car," Wanda said, tugging Natasha toward the door. "The engine light being on is bad, right?"

"Yeah, baby, that's bad," Natasha said, nearly bumping into Kate as she exited. "Hey, Bishop."

"What's up, Romanoff."

"Babe, thank God you're here. I need someone tall to get the keg from the garage." Yelena kissed Kate briefly on the cheek before scurrying off, barking orders at sorority sisters.

Not even having the chance to say hello, Kate frowned, setting her longboard down by the door and searching for the garage. She did not even reach the keg before Yelena asked for help on another thing, and then another, and eventually Kate was exhausted, and just felt like the muscle. She looked to Natasha, with her cut off muscle tank, asking, "are they always like this?"

"On party days, yeah," Natasha sighed, shivering. "You should see them on formal week, though."

"Great."

After a while, preparations shifted into celebration as partygoers arrived and the sorority sisters could relax. Itching to tell Yelena her good news, and her mixed feelings on MJ being left out, Kate found the blonde in the kitchen, throwing back a shot.

"Hey, Lena," Kate started nervously, acutely aware of the crowded kitchen filled with conversation.

"Babe!" Yelena said excitedly. "I'm glad you found me. I've been wanting to introduce you to some more sisters."

Not in the mood to socialize any more than she already had, Kate took a step back. "Oh, I-"

"This is Maria," the blonde said, pointing to a brunette. "This is Shuri, Sharon, Monica, Jemma..."

Kate spaced out as the list of names and faces grew overwhelming. After what felt like the fiftieth introduction, the brunette backed out of the kitchen, hoping Yelena would follow. She didn't, and Kate found the back door leading to the yard. Outside, Natasha and a tall blonde poked around a small campfire, beers in hand.

"You owe me a twenty, Morse," Natasha said, chuckling. The blonde rolled her eyes.

"What?" Kate asked.

"We had a bet on how long it would take until you joined us out here," the blonde supplied. "I'm Bobbi, by the way."

"Kate."

"Welcome to the island of misfit girlfriends," Natasha said with a sweep of her arm.

"Which one is yours, Kate?" Bobbi asked, and Natasha snorted.

"Yelena."

"Yelena's cuffed? Never thought I'd see the day."

"What about you?"

"I'm with Jemma, the little brunette. She's British."

"I'm with Wanda," Natasha added.

"We know," Kate and Bobbi said together, and Natasha sighed.

From inside the party, someone screamed, and Yelena shouted, "Kate! Get your long board out of the walkway!"

Natasha laughed as Kate traveled hesitantly back inside where the party had picked up in intensity. Just like on Halloween, music thrummed, lights flickered, and liquor flowed like rain. If the sensory overload from the music and lights was not enough to make Kate uncomfortable, then the crowd was. Bodies packed in like sardines as the brunette attempted to swim through, and thankfully Yelena pulled her to safety.

"This is all a bit much for me..." Kate tried to confess, though her soft words were lost in the music, and Yelena did not catch them.

"Can you put your skateboard in my room, maybe? It's in the way out here." Yelena said, and Kate slumped. "What's wrong?"

"I've been wanting to talk to you all night."

Yelena shook her head. "Kate, baby, you have to speak up. I can't hear you."

"Yeah, that's the point."

Fed up, exhausted, and overwhelmed, Kate pulled the long board from the blonde's grasp before turning for the front door. Bewildered, Yelena followed Kate to the door, calling weakly out to her, embarrassed that her newly debuted girlfriend walked out of a packed party in a huff.

Dismayed, Yelena watched as Kate skated down the sidewalk and out of view. Love was complicated, she thought, and something she would unfortunately have to navigate blindly.

__________________________
Bobbi and Jemma are dating in this universe because I say so